environment

Decision to Allow Booze at Alamo Draws Criticism

By Shefali Luthra, Kaiser Health News July 13, 2012

The Daughters of the Republic of Texas, which controlled the site until a year ago, has called the decision disrespectful to the memory of the Alamo. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Marjorie Kamys Cotera / Bob Daemmrich / Todd Wiseman
Slideshow: The Drilling Boom in Midland

By Kate Galbraith July 13, 2012

Midland lies at the heart of a region that produces 14 percent of the world's oil. With oil prices above $80 a barrel on the world market, the area is experiencing a major boom. But the growth has also strained Midland like never before. Full Story

Credit: Jerod Foster
Slideshow: The Drilling Boom in Midland

By Kate Galbraith July 13, 2012

Midland lies at the heart of the Permian Basin, a region that produces 14 percent of the nation's oil — and with oil prices high, the place is booming. But the rapid growth has also strained this once tight-knit community as never before. Full Story
Midland's Latest Oil Boom Has Side Effects

By Kate Galbraith July 13, 2012

Midland has always thought of itself as a small town, but an oil boom is rapidly reshaping the area. Housing as expensive (and hard to find) as New York City's has become the norm, and the strain is evident on schools and roads. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Jerod Foster
Land Office, Agriculture Department Facing Federal Suit

By Hollie O'Connor July 11, 2012

The U.S. Department of Justice is suing the Texas General Land Office and the Texas Department of Agriculture, alleging that the agencies are liable for pay discrimination against three women. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Bob Daemmrich / Todd Wiseman
Land Commissioner Touts Desalination Plan for Central Texas

By Terrence Henry, KUT News/StateImpact Texas July 10, 2012

Desalination, the process of removing salt from water, may bring to mind a plant on the coast sucking in salty seawater and dispensing fresh water. But Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson has a plan to bring desalination hundreds of miles inland, to thirsty Central Texas. Full Story

Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune
Amid Cattle Deaths, an Agricultural Mystery

By Mose Buchele, KUT News July 9, 2012

The sudden death of 15 cows on a Central Texas pasture in May was more than a tragedy for the rancher. It marked the beginning of a search for answers that has pointed directly to the grass on which the cows were grazing. Full Story

Credit: Valerie Hinojosa
Soot is an Underrated Threat, Scientists Say

By Kate Galbraith July 6, 2012

Soot gets less attention in Texas than the big daddy of air pollution, ozone. But scientists say that it is a growing threat for Texans, and the Environmental Protection Agency is tightening standards. Full Story

Credit: Scott Dalton
Heated Arguments

By Brandi Grissom July 6, 2012

While advocates worry particularly about heat conditions in a prison unit with recent water shortages, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is considering arguments in a lawsuit against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice alleging that the sweltering living quarters constitute cruel and unusual punishment. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmerich
Ranchers Struggle to Recover From Texas Drought

By Kelly Connelly, KUT News July 5, 2012

Last year’s drought dried up hay fields, sent feed prices through the roof and forced many Texas ranchers to sell off large portions of their herds. A year later, many are still trying to recover. Full Story
Shale Gas Fuels Refinery "Rebirth" on Texas Gulf Coast

By Dave Fehling, Houston Public Media July 3, 2012

It's nothing short of a "rebirth" of the petrochemical industry, one executive says. All along the Texas Gulf Coast, big companies are sinking billions of dollars into new plants. Full Story

Credit: Dave Fehling NPR StateImpact / KUHF Houston Public Radio
Drought Caused Biggest Drop in Ogallala Aquifer in 25 Years

By Kate Galbraith July 3, 2012

The historic Texas drought caused the Ogallala Aquifer to experience its largest decline in 25 years across a large swath of the Texas Panhandle, new numbers from a water district show. Full Story

Credit: Jason Janik
Former EPA Official Al Armendariz Joining Sierra Club

By Emily Foxhall June 29, 2012

Two months after Al Armendariz resigned from his post as a Texas-based regional director for the Environmental Protection Agency, the Sierra Club has announced that Armendariz is joining its "Beyond Coal" campaign. Full Story
More Areas in Gulf of Mexico to be Opened for Drilling

By Yue Wang, Medill News Service June 29, 2012

The Obama administration has announced plans to to expand drilling activities in the Gulf of Mexico, even as lingering effects of the disastrous 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill are still felt along parts of the Texas coastline. Full Story

Credit: kris krug
Regulators Approve Hike in Wholesale Electric Prices

By Kate Galbraith and John Wayne Ferguson June 28, 2012

The Public Utility Commission approved a 50 percent increase for the cap on wholesale electricity prices on the Texas electrical grid. That will mean higher prices for ordinary Texans, consumer advocates fear. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
Recycling Efforts by Drilling Industry a Focus of House Hearing

By Hollie O'Connor June 27, 2012

Much of the discussion at a Wednesday House committee hearing centered around efforts by drilling companies to recycle water or reduce their water consumption. Environmentalists questioned whether they are doing enough. Full Story
TPWD Looks to Rebound After Devastating Year

By Hollie O'Connor June 27, 2012

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is still feeling the effects of last year's wildfires, drought and budget cuts, but officials say the situation is improving with increased park attendance and donations. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Theodore Scott / Todd Wiseman
As Temperatures Soar, State Weighs Risks of Blackouts

By Dave Fehling, Houston Public Media June 27, 2012

This week's 100-degree weather across the state has raised important questions about how often Texas would need to force rolling blackouts to keep pace with demand. For the state, it mostly comes down how much power it has in its reserves — and how much it's willing to spend for it. Full Story

Credit: Dave Fehling NPR StateImpact / KUHF Houston Public Radio
Life by the Drop: Drought, Water and the Future of Texas

By David Muto June 25, 2012

Drought may be a part of life in Texas, but last year's crisis left an indelible mark on the state. In a special report on the 2011 drought, KUT News, StateImpact Texas and Texas Monthly examine how the state will manage a growing population amid a shrinking water supply. Full Story

Credit: Earl Nottingham/Texas Parks & Wildlife
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Ross Ramsey June 23, 2012

Aguilar on the aftermath of changes in U.S. immigration policy, Batheja on how the Republican candidates for Senate are handling that sensitive issue, KUT's Philpott on new driver's license laws and immigration, M. Smith on racial tensions and an ousted police chief in Jasper, Galbraith on the state's efforts to limit electric service blackouts, Hamilton on the hot Campbell-Wentworth Senate runoff in Central Texas, Murphy maps the May primary voting, Root on the restoration of the arson-damaged Texas Governor's Mansion and Dehn's latest Weekend Insider on obese Texans: The best of our best content from June 18 to 22, 2012. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman